Ledger's Dad: Dark Knight 'Very Good'

A visually stunning film about the stuff dreams are made of

(NEWSER) - Inception, a "James Bond-on-acid" take on dreams and dreaming is being hailed as a sleek, psychedelic summer blockbuster that makes up in daring what it lacks in heart. The critics agree Inception is bound to capture your imagination—and maybe even blow your mind:

• Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News : "Inception blends the blockbuster enormity of his Dark Knight with the indie insights of Memento." The result? A film that "makes most other summer films seem mediocre."
• Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times : "This is a popular entertainment with a knockout punch so intense and unnerving it'll have you worrying if it's safe to close your eyes at night."

Apparent Soloist knockoff actually from 1999, where it should stay

(NEWSER) - Harlem Aria hit the festival circuit in 1999, and contemporary critics are baffled by the timing of the release of the uneven story of a developmentally disabled young black man with a heart and voice of gold:

• The performances and William Jennings' direction are "no more than adequate," V.A. Musetto writes in the New York Post , and Jennings' script is "laughably inadequate." Furthermore, "Congress should look into" the fact that the film is being released now.

(NEWSER) - Posters of President Obama in Heath Ledger-like Joker makeup from The Dark Knight with a caption reading “Socialism” have sprung up in Los Angeles and Atlanta, the Daily Contributor reports. Similar posters online have the caption “why so socialist?” The guerilla art attacks, not yet claimed by any group, seem to be a reaction to Obama’s plan to reform the health-care system. More»

Friends, colleagues remember tragic actor

(NEWSER) - Heath Ledger was a complicated actor who quit using marijuana and alcohol and came close to giving up the sleeping pills that may have killed him, friends and colleagues tell Vanity Fair in a profile. Though he was leery of summer blockbusters—“He was afraid it would define him and limit his choices,” says his agent—he found some compelling reasons to appear in The Dark Knight. More»

Eminen and "Bruno" tangle at pop culture fete

(NEWSER) - Teen fave Twilight swept the MTV Movie Awards last night with five wins—including Best Fight, Best Kiss, and Best Movie—reports Entertainment Weekly. Heath Ledger scored a posthumous Best Villain for Dark Knight, and former Saturday Night Live star Amy Poehler nabbed the inaugural Best WTF Moment for Baby Mama. The show was hosted by current SNLer Andy Samberg. More»